A Bloody Good Time
Prologue
You are cordially invited to attend a dinner at the famed DiMiera mansion this Friday evening April 19. Come prepared for the party of your life. A juicy announcement will be made concerning you or one of the other guests and it's for your best benefit if you attend. Hoping to see you there and hoping to shock you to your core, Wilhem Rolf.
Chapter 1: Changes
Brady groaned as the phone by his bedside incessantly shrilled. By the seventh ring he blindly reached for the phone, knocking over his clock and a bottle of water before he got the receiver firmly around his fingers. "Mmmm.?"
"Brady?"
"Belle? Belle it's," he leaned over the side of the bed to check what time the clock shone from the floor, "it's six thirty in the morning. What the hell could be so important as to call me---oh G-d Belle, is it the baby? Are you in labor?"
Brady heard a light chuckling on the other end of the phone. "No, Brady. Calm down big bro. I still have two more weeks."
Brady breathed a sigh of relief. "Well then why the hell are you calling me at six thirty in the morning? I thought pregnant women slept all day."
"It's crazy, but this pregnancy has actually made me more perky- or is it perkier? I never did get good grades in English." She laughed to herself. "Hmmmmm.well did Chloe sleep all day when she was pregnant?"
Belle heard her brother groan. "If this is about Chloe then I'm hanging up, Belle. We are separated and are not getting back together, got it?"
"No, this phone call is not entirely about Chloe. But I have to say I just don't get it. You two have a beautiful little boy and have just as much passion and love for each other as you always have. You both are just being difficult and stubborn and it's been three months and you two have let this 'separation' last long enough."
"I'm hanging up Belle-"
"Okay, okay I'll stop.for now. Actually, I was calling because I wanted to know if you were going to go to this dinner party that Rolf was throwing at Stefano's old place."
"Yeah, why?"
"Just checking. I mean the invitation he sent out was kinda creepy and I don't know.a little portentous."
"Portentous? Using big words now Belle."
"Shut up." She chuckled.
"Yeah well, I'm just curious as to this announcement he's suppose to make that's going to and I quote 'shock us to our core'." He snickered.
"Don't make light of this Brady. It sounds serious."
"Belle, are you serious? Anybody that takes Dr. Rolf seriously really has problems. The guy's old and he's nuts and he hasn't been the same since Stefano left town eight years ago, so relax. I think tonight may turn out to be more hysterical than anything else."
"We'll see."
"Well, is that it?"
"Yeah. That's it, Brade."
"And why couldn't this wait until later today?"
"Because Mr. Workaholic, you are the hardest person to get in touch with when you're at work-"
"Slaving away." He laughed.
"Yeah, slaving away Brady. You're only twenty-eight years old. You should be traveling the world with your wife and your son. Instead, dad and mom just got back from Italy. I guess dad knew what he was doing when he let you take over Basic Black. He's actually enjoying his life. He's happy."
"And I'm not?"
"No, you aren't."
"But I am happy."
"Happy? Without Chloe? You miss her."
"I see her everyday when I spend time with Noah."
"That's not what I mean and you know it."
He sighed. "Yes, I miss Chloe. I love her."
"Well then why not run over to the Wesley's right now and bring her back home?"
"Because sometimes love just isn't enough okay? And because it's six thirty in the morning."
"Oh, Brady." She whined.
"Bye sis."
"Hey don't forget you said you'd meet me for lunch today at the pub."
He grunted in reply.
"Bye Brady," she muttered as she heard him hang up.
"Noah, come back here!" Nancy yelled as she chased the blonde haired, blue- eyed toddler from the dining room to the living room of the Wesley home. "Craig, grab him before he hits his head on the coffee table."
"Awwwww.come here buddy." Craig cooed as he scooped up the little boy into his arms as he took a seat on the couch.
"Oh and Craig, watch out for your shirt, Noah's got his breakfast all over his hands."
"Awwwwwww.thanks Nancy. Now you tell me," he muttered as he saw the small, green handprints all over the chest of his dress shirt. "What in the world did he just eat for breakfast?"
"Mashed green peas." Nancy sighed as she took a seat next to her husband on the couch. "I don't remember Chloe being this difficult as a toddler."
"That's because you didn't raise her then."
"Oh yeah. Well I wonder where Noah got his demonic nature: Brady or Chloe.or both." He laughed as she continued. "Craig, if Chloe and Brady don't get their acts together and reunite already, I'm going to go stir crazy."
"Nance, you know those two are the most stubborn people in the world. It'll just take awhile, maybe they just need a little push."
"Oh, I'll give them a push alright. A push right off a cliff if it'll knock some sense into them."
The doorbell sounded. "Ah, that's got to be Brady, Nancy. Here, take little Noah and I'll go let his daddy in okay," he said more to the child than his wife who also stood up and reluctantly accepted the child. Holding him on one hip she followed her husband. Craig opened the door and sighed gratefully. "Brady. Good to see you son."
"Great to see you too Craig." Casually dressed in a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans, he eyed the green smears on Craig's shirt. "Reenacting scenes from the Exorcist?"
Nancy cut in. "Ha, ha. Very funny Brady."
"I thought so. Morning Nancy." He grinned.
"Here," she said as she handed Noah to Brady as if she were handling a puppy who'd gotten into her garden. "Here, take your devil child."
Brady laughed and gladly accepted his son as he ruffled the little boy's hair. "Hey Noah. Hey buddy."
The boy wrapped his tiny arms around his father's neck, smearing some of the peas onto Brady's face. "Hi dada," he squeaked.
"Come on in Brady," Craig said as he moved back to welcome him in.
"Thanks Craig." He walked in and continued cooing to his son. "Oh, buddy whatcha been eatin' huh? Whatcha been eatin?"
Nancy answered for him. "Mashed green peas. But I don't think you can refer to it as eating since most of them never made it in his mouth but on my kitchen walls instead."
Brady chuckled and high-fived his son. "Alright Noah! Good boy." He made a face. "We don't like stinky green peas for breakfast. Hell no." The boy giggled and began kicking to be released from his father's arms. Brady gently set him down on the floor. Immediately, the boy took off towards the stairs with Nancy hot on his trail.
Craig gave his son-in-law a look of mock shock. "Brady, you're dressed in civvies. Casual day at Basic Black?"
"Nope. Actually, I'm taking today off. A phone call from my sister this morning convinced me. So where's his mommy this bright and cheery morning, hmm?"
Craig smiled knowingly. "Chloe's in the kitchen but be forewarned, I'm sure there are still some green peas in the kitchen and Chloe may go a little Linda Blair on you."
Brady snickered and made his way into the kitchen. "Thanks Craig."
Brady quietly walked through the kitchen door and leaned against the jam. He watched Chloe's profile as she quietly sang 'The Wheels on the Bus go round and round' while stirring a pot of--- God knows what--- because Chloe was most definitely no 'Emeril Lagasse.' Brady couldn't help but think how sexy she looked though. her hair in a high ponytail, barefoot in faded jeans and a white t-shirt with green peas smeared on her cheek. He interrupted her in the midst of the second chorus. "A far cry from any aria I've ever heard grace your lips, but still a classic."
"Brady! You scared the sh&t out of me!" She held her hand to her chest to calm her suddenly rapid heartbeat. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I came to pick up my lovely wife and son for a day at the zoo."
"Soon to be ex-wife and there's an 80% chance of rain today so no."
"Well, the movies then."
"We tried taking Noah to the movies once remember? They told us to never come back."
Brady had to smile as he relived the memory that, at the time, was mortifying. "Oh yeah. Well, as much as I'd love to stay and eat that foul smelling grunge you have bubbling on the stove I have to meet Belle for lunch at the pub so what do ya say Mrs. Black? Lemme take you out."
"No way."
"Come on honey. You never could resist me before."
"Ugh!" She angrily pounded on the counter with the palm of her hand and glared at him. "I hate you and I hate that you think you can just come in here and make everything okay by talking in that sexy voice! It isn't going to work this time Brady! We just can't get along! We're-" she howled in pain as some of the contents of the pot cooking on the stove splashed up and hit the inside of her forearm. "Ow," she whined as she held her arm in obvious pain.
Brady immediately rushed over to her, taking her arm in his hands as he inspected the burn. "Aw, does it hurt?"
She gave him a 'what do you think' look. "Of course it does. It's.it." she trailed off, as he lightly blew the burn, his breath on her arm causing her to lose all train of thought. She felt herself leaning into him, her lips now inches from his as he continued cooling her arm with his warm breath.
"Feel better," he asked looking up and into her glazed eyes.
"Much," she barely choked out.
"Good!" Brady shouted as he fully stood upright and gave Chloe's bottom a light smack. "Put some A&D ointment on that burn, get Noah's breakfast off your face and we can go. I'll go and change Stinky's diaper before we leave."
Chloe sighed in defeat as she watched the man that made her absolutely insane, but who she absolutely loved, walk out of the room.
You are cordially invited to attend a dinner at the famed DiMiera mansion this Friday evening April 19. Come prepared for the party of your life. A juicy announcement will be made concerning you or one of the other guests and it's for your best benefit if you attend. Hoping to see you there and hoping to shock you to your core, Wilhem Rolf.
Chapter 1: Changes
Brady groaned as the phone by his bedside incessantly shrilled. By the seventh ring he blindly reached for the phone, knocking over his clock and a bottle of water before he got the receiver firmly around his fingers. "Mmmm.?"
"Brady?"
"Belle? Belle it's," he leaned over the side of the bed to check what time the clock shone from the floor, "it's six thirty in the morning. What the hell could be so important as to call me---oh G-d Belle, is it the baby? Are you in labor?"
Brady heard a light chuckling on the other end of the phone. "No, Brady. Calm down big bro. I still have two more weeks."
Brady breathed a sigh of relief. "Well then why the hell are you calling me at six thirty in the morning? I thought pregnant women slept all day."
"It's crazy, but this pregnancy has actually made me more perky- or is it perkier? I never did get good grades in English." She laughed to herself. "Hmmmmm.well did Chloe sleep all day when she was pregnant?"
Belle heard her brother groan. "If this is about Chloe then I'm hanging up, Belle. We are separated and are not getting back together, got it?"
"No, this phone call is not entirely about Chloe. But I have to say I just don't get it. You two have a beautiful little boy and have just as much passion and love for each other as you always have. You both are just being difficult and stubborn and it's been three months and you two have let this 'separation' last long enough."
"I'm hanging up Belle-"
"Okay, okay I'll stop.for now. Actually, I was calling because I wanted to know if you were going to go to this dinner party that Rolf was throwing at Stefano's old place."
"Yeah, why?"
"Just checking. I mean the invitation he sent out was kinda creepy and I don't know.a little portentous."
"Portentous? Using big words now Belle."
"Shut up." She chuckled.
"Yeah well, I'm just curious as to this announcement he's suppose to make that's going to and I quote 'shock us to our core'." He snickered.
"Don't make light of this Brady. It sounds serious."
"Belle, are you serious? Anybody that takes Dr. Rolf seriously really has problems. The guy's old and he's nuts and he hasn't been the same since Stefano left town eight years ago, so relax. I think tonight may turn out to be more hysterical than anything else."
"We'll see."
"Well, is that it?"
"Yeah. That's it, Brade."
"And why couldn't this wait until later today?"
"Because Mr. Workaholic, you are the hardest person to get in touch with when you're at work-"
"Slaving away." He laughed.
"Yeah, slaving away Brady. You're only twenty-eight years old. You should be traveling the world with your wife and your son. Instead, dad and mom just got back from Italy. I guess dad knew what he was doing when he let you take over Basic Black. He's actually enjoying his life. He's happy."
"And I'm not?"
"No, you aren't."
"But I am happy."
"Happy? Without Chloe? You miss her."
"I see her everyday when I spend time with Noah."
"That's not what I mean and you know it."
He sighed. "Yes, I miss Chloe. I love her."
"Well then why not run over to the Wesley's right now and bring her back home?"
"Because sometimes love just isn't enough okay? And because it's six thirty in the morning."
"Oh, Brady." She whined.
"Bye sis."
"Hey don't forget you said you'd meet me for lunch today at the pub."
He grunted in reply.
"Bye Brady," she muttered as she heard him hang up.
"Noah, come back here!" Nancy yelled as she chased the blonde haired, blue- eyed toddler from the dining room to the living room of the Wesley home. "Craig, grab him before he hits his head on the coffee table."
"Awwwww.come here buddy." Craig cooed as he scooped up the little boy into his arms as he took a seat on the couch.
"Oh and Craig, watch out for your shirt, Noah's got his breakfast all over his hands."
"Awwwwwww.thanks Nancy. Now you tell me," he muttered as he saw the small, green handprints all over the chest of his dress shirt. "What in the world did he just eat for breakfast?"
"Mashed green peas." Nancy sighed as she took a seat next to her husband on the couch. "I don't remember Chloe being this difficult as a toddler."
"That's because you didn't raise her then."
"Oh yeah. Well I wonder where Noah got his demonic nature: Brady or Chloe.or both." He laughed as she continued. "Craig, if Chloe and Brady don't get their acts together and reunite already, I'm going to go stir crazy."
"Nance, you know those two are the most stubborn people in the world. It'll just take awhile, maybe they just need a little push."
"Oh, I'll give them a push alright. A push right off a cliff if it'll knock some sense into them."
The doorbell sounded. "Ah, that's got to be Brady, Nancy. Here, take little Noah and I'll go let his daddy in okay," he said more to the child than his wife who also stood up and reluctantly accepted the child. Holding him on one hip she followed her husband. Craig opened the door and sighed gratefully. "Brady. Good to see you son."
"Great to see you too Craig." Casually dressed in a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans, he eyed the green smears on Craig's shirt. "Reenacting scenes from the Exorcist?"
Nancy cut in. "Ha, ha. Very funny Brady."
"I thought so. Morning Nancy." He grinned.
"Here," she said as she handed Noah to Brady as if she were handling a puppy who'd gotten into her garden. "Here, take your devil child."
Brady laughed and gladly accepted his son as he ruffled the little boy's hair. "Hey Noah. Hey buddy."
The boy wrapped his tiny arms around his father's neck, smearing some of the peas onto Brady's face. "Hi dada," he squeaked.
"Come on in Brady," Craig said as he moved back to welcome him in.
"Thanks Craig." He walked in and continued cooing to his son. "Oh, buddy whatcha been eatin' huh? Whatcha been eatin?"
Nancy answered for him. "Mashed green peas. But I don't think you can refer to it as eating since most of them never made it in his mouth but on my kitchen walls instead."
Brady chuckled and high-fived his son. "Alright Noah! Good boy." He made a face. "We don't like stinky green peas for breakfast. Hell no." The boy giggled and began kicking to be released from his father's arms. Brady gently set him down on the floor. Immediately, the boy took off towards the stairs with Nancy hot on his trail.
Craig gave his son-in-law a look of mock shock. "Brady, you're dressed in civvies. Casual day at Basic Black?"
"Nope. Actually, I'm taking today off. A phone call from my sister this morning convinced me. So where's his mommy this bright and cheery morning, hmm?"
Craig smiled knowingly. "Chloe's in the kitchen but be forewarned, I'm sure there are still some green peas in the kitchen and Chloe may go a little Linda Blair on you."
Brady snickered and made his way into the kitchen. "Thanks Craig."
Brady quietly walked through the kitchen door and leaned against the jam. He watched Chloe's profile as she quietly sang 'The Wheels on the Bus go round and round' while stirring a pot of--- God knows what--- because Chloe was most definitely no 'Emeril Lagasse.' Brady couldn't help but think how sexy she looked though. her hair in a high ponytail, barefoot in faded jeans and a white t-shirt with green peas smeared on her cheek. He interrupted her in the midst of the second chorus. "A far cry from any aria I've ever heard grace your lips, but still a classic."
"Brady! You scared the sh&t out of me!" She held her hand to her chest to calm her suddenly rapid heartbeat. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I came to pick up my lovely wife and son for a day at the zoo."
"Soon to be ex-wife and there's an 80% chance of rain today so no."
"Well, the movies then."
"We tried taking Noah to the movies once remember? They told us to never come back."
Brady had to smile as he relived the memory that, at the time, was mortifying. "Oh yeah. Well, as much as I'd love to stay and eat that foul smelling grunge you have bubbling on the stove I have to meet Belle for lunch at the pub so what do ya say Mrs. Black? Lemme take you out."
"No way."
"Come on honey. You never could resist me before."
"Ugh!" She angrily pounded on the counter with the palm of her hand and glared at him. "I hate you and I hate that you think you can just come in here and make everything okay by talking in that sexy voice! It isn't going to work this time Brady! We just can't get along! We're-" she howled in pain as some of the contents of the pot cooking on the stove splashed up and hit the inside of her forearm. "Ow," she whined as she held her arm in obvious pain.
Brady immediately rushed over to her, taking her arm in his hands as he inspected the burn. "Aw, does it hurt?"
She gave him a 'what do you think' look. "Of course it does. It's.it." she trailed off, as he lightly blew the burn, his breath on her arm causing her to lose all train of thought. She felt herself leaning into him, her lips now inches from his as he continued cooling her arm with his warm breath.
"Feel better," he asked looking up and into her glazed eyes.
"Much," she barely choked out.
"Good!" Brady shouted as he fully stood upright and gave Chloe's bottom a light smack. "Put some A&D ointment on that burn, get Noah's breakfast off your face and we can go. I'll go and change Stinky's diaper before we leave."
Chloe sighed in defeat as she watched the man that made her absolutely insane, but who she absolutely loved, walk out of the room.